Combined storage holder and sharpener for knives

ABSTRACT

A base panel for wall mounting has on its outer face a transverse outwardly projecting housing of greater depth than the blade width of the knives to be accommodated. The projecting housing is provided with a slot or slots to receive knife blades therethrough. Each slot has associated with it internally of the housing a pair of sharpening elements adapted to engage the blade edge on opposite sides and a resilient means for biasing the blade edge toward and in sharpening contact with the sharpening elements and for holding the blade or blades in the slots during periods of storage. Each placement and withdrawal of a blade results in a sharpening action on the blade. The device includes a protective cover for the blades when in the storage position.

United States Patent [191 McNair [11] 3,889,809 1 June 17, 1975 1 COMBINED STORAGE HOLDER AND SHARPENER FOR KNIVES [75] Inventor: Samuel L. McNair, Overland Park,

Kansv [73] Assignee: Daley Products Co., Kansas City,

22 Filed: May29, 1973 21 App1.No.:364,904

[52] US. Cl 206/372; 211/60 T; 206/349 [51] Int. Cl 865d 85/54 [58] Field of Search 211/60 R, 60 T; 51/173; 206/75, 349, 372

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,861,683 6/1932 Branch 211/60 T 1,937,424 11/1933 Champlin... 211/60 T 2,183,074 12/1939 Hopkins 206/372 2,357,646 9/1944 Gilbert 206/75 U X 2,459,391 l/l949 Otis 21 1160 T 2,955,789 10/1960 Smith 211/60 T 3,071,252 1/1963 Hanschar 211/60 T Primary Examiner-William l. Price Assistant ExaminerRo E. Hart Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lowe, Kokjer, Kircher, Wharton & Bowman [57] ABSTRACT A base panel for wall mounting has on its outer face a transverse outwardly projecting housing of greater depth than the blade width of the knives to be accommodated. The projecting housing is provided with a slot or slots to receive knife blades therethrough. Each slot has associated with it internally of the housing a pair of sharpening elements adapted to engage the blade edge on opposite sides and a resilient means for biasing the blade edge toward and in sharpening contact with the sharpening elements and for holding the blade or blades in the slots during periods of storage. Each placement and withdrawal ofa blade results in a sharpening action on the blade. The device includes a protective cover for the blades when in the storage position.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures r23 23a 25 til i i 24 i 2.40 a

COMBINED STORAGE HOLDER AND SHARPENER FOR KNIVES SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Knife holders in the form of wall, drawer or counter racks have been known for many years. They have taken many forms such as, for example, magnetic holders, clips which receive and releasably clamp the blade or engage a shoulder at the handle to hand the knife, slotted boxes in which the blades are received in the slots with the handle ends supported on a ledge or the like and other structures, simply such as nails, hanging blocks and the like. Sharpeners also are well known and in a variety of forms, from simple stones through other manual sharpeners such as hand steels to electri cally powered grinding wheels, either alone or in company with other kitchen accessories such as can openers and the like.

The present invention differs from what I have known of in the past in that it provides a simple structure which can be wall, drawer of counter located (preferably wall mounted) and which not only provides safe protective storage for the knives but also produces a sharpening action on the blade edge each time that the knife is removed from or placed back in storage. The arrangement according to my invention can be adapted to holding as little as one knife or several.

In addition to the foregoing features, the combined holder and sharpener of the instant invention includes means whereby the sharpening elements are repositioned during successive placement of the knives in storage thereby to evenly distribute the wear on the sharpening elements and assure uniform sharpening action on the blades.

Another feature of my invention is that the blades, while stored, are stored in such a manner that the blade edges are maintained free of contact with anything other than the passing contact with the sharpening elements, thereby preserving the keenness of the edge.

Other objects and features of the invention, together with the features of novelty pertinent thereto will appear in the course of the following description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combined storage holder and sharpener for knives made according to embodiment of the inventions;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section of the view taken generally along the line 44 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 3 but showing the slot without a blade being present;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 77 of FIG. 6 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 8-8 of FIG. 6 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 identifies a base panel which is adapted to be hung upon a nail or peg in a vertical wall by means of hole 11. Base panel I0 includes a transverse housing 12, which may be formed integral with the base panel. In the illustrated embodiment the base panel 10 and housing I2 are made up of two solid plastic parts divided at line 13 so that part 120 of the housing is formed by a projection on the upper portion of the base panel and the other part 12b by a projection on the lower part 10b of the base panel.

A transparent casing 14 is connected with the upper portion of the base panel and provides a storage compartment for the blades 15, 16 of the knives shown stored in the unit.

Again referring to the illustrated embodiment, housing 12 is provided with three parallel blade slots 17, 18 and 19 respectively. Each of the slots extends from top to bottom (i.e., in a direction parallel with the long axis of the panel 10) through the housing 12. Each slot is designed to receive a knife, and as can be appreciated from the drawing, the slots can be made of different width and breadth to accommodate a variety of knife sizes.

The sharpening and holding means for sharpening the knives and retaining them in the unit during times of storage are located within the housing I1. Each of slot and its associated sharpening and holding means is in principal identical with the others, the only difference being in the size of knife accommodated; accordingly the detail description will be limited to slot 19, with the understanding that essentially the same structure is utilized in both slots 17 and 18.

Referring to FIGS. 3, S, 6, 7 and 8, located adjacent what will be referred to as the base or bottom edge 19a of the slot 19 is a pair of partially overlapping discs 20. These discs are relatively thin circular discs of tungsten carbide. Each disc is located within a routed out passage 21, 22 formed in the face of the respective housing halves 12a with the discs in parallel and slightly spaced planes. The discs are loosely contained within the passages so that they are movable therein. A steel ball 22, of the bearing type is located between the disc I9 and the edges of the discs bear against the ball and are maintained slightly separated by same. Each disc is generally confined in a parallel plane with respect to the other by means of the face of the opposed half of the housing 12 which forms with each passage 21, 22 a confined track for the disc located therein.

Extending into the slot from the edge of the slot opposite from the discs 20 are two bearing balls 23 and 24. Each of these balls is loosely confined within a cylindrical bore 230, 24a terminating in matching semicylindrical recesses formed in the opposite side walls of the slot. The bores 23a, 24a extend inwardly past the outermost edge 19 of the slot so that with the knife removed the balls 23, 24 will be displaced inwardly of the slot edge (see FIG. 4). The balls 23, 24 are engaged respectively by compression springs 25. The ends of the spring opposite from the ball are retained by a cap piece 26 which is secured to the housing halves and extends along the incline entrance edge of the housing. The cap piece is slotted as at 27 to coincide with the knife slots in the housing; entrance slot 27 is provided with a beveled or tapered edge 27 on opposite sides and at the ends thereof in order to provide a funnel-like entrance quide for the knife point as it is inserted in the housing.

In the utilization of the unit, each slot, when a blade is not located in it. looks very much like what is shown in FIGS. 4 and 6-8. The balls 23, 24 are at the inner limits of their retaining bores, and thus are located at an intermediate position in the slot spaced away from the sharpening discs 20. As the tip of the knife blade (e.g., blade 16) is inserted through the entrance 27 to the slot, it eventually passes between the discs and the balls 23, 24, and upon engagement by the latter, the balls tend to force the cutting edge of the knife into alignment with the V-shaped notch formed by the discs with the sides of the knife edge engaging and supported by the discs. As the knife is pushed on into the slot the balls 23, 24 will be displaced outwardly against the resistance of the springs 23a, 24a. The springs and balls thus serve to maintain constant pressure against the blade, which in turn keeps the cutting edge in contact with the discs. When the knife is fully inserted the blade will have been engaged and honed by the discs throughout its full length. Moreover the continuing pressure of springs 23a, 240 will serve to hold the knife firmly within the housing 12 until it is withdrawn again.

Obviously, upon withdrawal the sharpening process will be effected in reverse, with sharpening continuing until the blade is completely withdrawn.

Upon each insertion of the blade there is a tendency for the discs 19 to be rotated slightly since the knife edge does not perfectly align itself with the V-notch. In other words, the knife edge may contact one or the other of the discs first and be displaced back toward the center of the notch in which case there is a tendency for the disc to be rotated as displacement takes place. Upon repeated insertions of the blade this rotation is substantially uniformly applied to both discs with the consequence that during repeated uses, the discs tend to present a new surface to the knife upon each insertion.

The dimensioning of the discs is such that the V- notch they form is displaced from the bottom of notch 19. This insures that the blade will be maintained free of contact with either the base of the slot or with any surface within the casing 14 during the times that it is stored in the unit.

The use of two pressure balls such as balls 23, 24

spaced longitudinally along the slot tends to maintain an even pressure on the blade and to off set a tendency for the blade to pivot about the discs 20 because of the heavier handle portion and the location of its center of gravity. The ball 23, while assisting in applying sharpening pressure. also is a counter balance to the tendency of the knife to swing clockwise about the contact points with discs 20 due to the displacement of the center gravity of the handle outwardly in a vertical line through the \/-notch formed by discs 20.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the struc ture.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations.

Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A combined cutlery holder and sharpener comprising a support member having a slot therethrough for reception of a blade with a cutting edge, said slot having opposed side edges,

blade sharpening means at one side edge of said slot for sliding engagement with the opposite sides of said cutting edge during insertion and removal of said blade from said slot, and

means at the other side edge of said slot resiliently biasing said blade toward and into contact with said blade sharpening means while said blade is in said slot.

2. The combination as in claim 1,

said blade sharpening means including two discs arranged in parallel partially overlapping relationship and defining a notch within which said cutting edge is located while said blade is in said slot.

3. The combination as in claim 2,

means supporting said disc for rotation relative to one another and for maintaining a spacing therebe- 

1. A combined cutlery holder and sharpener comprising a support member having a slot therethrough for reception of a blade with a cutting edge, said slot having opposed side edges, blade sharpening means at one side edge of said slot foR sliding engagement with the opposite sides of said cutting edge during insertion and removal of said blade from said slot, and means at the other side edge of said slot resiliently biasing said blade toward and into contact with said blade sharpening means while said blade is in said slot.
 2. The combination as in claim 1, said blade sharpening means including two discs arranged in parallel partially overlapping relationship and defining a notch within which said cutting edge is located while said blade is in said slot.
 3. The combination as in claim 2, means supporting said disc for rotation relative to one another and for maintaining a spacing therebetween. 